Riot Unveils the $200 Mythic Variant, Sparking Intense Backlash Among LoL Players

A new article has been released to shed light on the recent issue about the Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin, another mythic-tier content and revealed the release of the Mythic Variants. However, this has sparked controversy among League of Legends fans due to the gacha-like system associated with it.

Previously, new Cosmic skins have been released for four champions, but this time, it comes with what appeared to be a chroma. The reveal sparked excitement, but it was quickly overshadowed by controversy as rumors spread about its connection to a gacha system. On August 17, 2023, the skin and monetization team responded to the situation by publishing an article to clarify matters.

Mythic Variants: Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin Arrives - League of Legends

A rundown on the new Mythic Variant skins and the first: Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin.

AuthorThe Skins TeamLeague of Legends

In a recent article released by Riot, the skins and monetization team talked about the current state of prestigious content. According to them, acquiring prestige skins had become too easy, prompting them to explore avenues through which players can obtain "ultra rare" items, something they can be proud of having.

So in the next patch, Riot is about to introduce a more exclusive item called the Mythic Variant. Currently, their plan is to begin with Legendary skins like the Dark Cosmic Jhin, giving them a new and fresh appearance and incorporating special elements to it which gave birth to the Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin.

Unveiled on August 16, 2023, Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin swiftly seized the player base's attention. The “chroma” shares similar appearance, form and animation with the Dark Cosmic Jhin, but this time, it features a distinct red hue.

Although it's merely a re-color of an existing skin, players were really genuinely hyped about it. Jhin mains like IKeepItTaco have also expressed their excitement towards the skin upon seeing its own splash art.  But, it wasn't long before the enthusiasm  transformed into criticisms.

According to the article,  obtaining demands more than just pure grinding. For the Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin, players will need to purchase Cosmic 2023 Capsule and open it, banking on a mere 1% chance of snagging the mythic variant — assuming luck is on their side. If not, Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin is guaranteed to appear in the 30th capsule. It is also mentioned that it is not a chroma, as previously believed, but  rather a standalone skin.

Each capsule comes at a cost of $7, but given the low probability, it's more likely that players will need to purchase 30 of them, amounting to a hefty 22500 RP or $200, which is quite a lot.

Unfortunately, there is no other way for players to get their hands on these as it is not going to be purchasable in the shop and will only be potentially added in the reroll pool sometime in 2024. This alone has triggered a wave of anger among fans, who find themselves frustrated by the new monetization strategy that places a repainted skin behind a paywall.

Certain fans found themselves drawing comparisons between this Mythic variant and past Legendary alternatives such as Dark Cosmic and Cosmic Lux, as well as Dawnbringer and Nightbringer Soraka. These bundles contained skins with two variations, each boasting distinct animations, effects, and voiceovers. The previous legendary variations though only costs 3512RP.  On the other hand, the more expensive Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin which lacks any new features, can take 22500 RP at most.

As a result of this, players are harboring concerns that this recently introduced gacha system could potentially be applied in future content releases, particularly with the imminent arrival of Redeemed Star Guardian Xayah and Rakan. While, it cannot be denied that the mythic variant looked stunning, the gacha feature is rather hard to justify especially since it is only a re-color, or chroma and there’s nothing actually new to it.

Aside from expressing their discontent on different platforms such as Reddit and Twitter, some individuals are actually planning to boycott the new content with high hopes of having it discontinued.

Cosmic 2023 Capsule is announced to arrive in LoL Patch 13.17 and 13.18. With only two weeks away from its arrival, players are hopeful that Riot will modify the method of obtaining it or eliminate the gacha system entirely.

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